One of the major requirements which every cellular network operator faces is to ensure that the network is operating to its maximum efficiency. As a result, cellular network optimization is a major feature of many modern cellular networks.
In order to guarantee the best possible performance to the cellular network subscribers, the network is periodically optimized so that its resources can be more effectively utilized within the core network and/or the Radio Access Network.
Typically, network optimization is affected by manually modifying network parameters in the Radio and Core Networks based on information that relates to network performance. Such information is retrieved periodically and analyzed by the Operations and Support System (OSS) to derive key performance indicators (KPIs) therefrom. The state of the art KPIs include typical system level (e.g. related to user or cell throughputs) and link level (e.g. various transmission error rates) metrics.
Although KPIs can provide a measure of network performance, presently most used systems are designed for a typical time resolution of 15 minutes or more (i.e. KPIs are generated every 15 minutes or more) due to the fact that the system needs to accumulate data over this time period in order to generate the KPI. In addition, the 15 minutes resolution KPIs are normally exported to a central database in which case there is an additional delay until the data can actually be accessed and contemplated. As such, presently used KPIs provide a time-limited view of network performance which severely limits near real time network optimization.
Several solutions have been proposed in the art for analyzing a wired/wireless communication network to optimize its performance.
U.S. 2005/0064820 describes continuously collecting data from all elements constituting the communication network and analyzing the data to find an element of which performance and/or efficiency deteriorates.
U.S. 2004/0085909 discloses scheduling transmissions in a wireless communication system using historical information and usage patterns of remote users in the system. Usage patterns for users within a system are stored and analyzed to optimize transmissions and resources in the system.
U.S. 2010/0029282 describes collecting various wireless performance metrics by respective network access points as an aggregate measure of the wireless network performance. Aggregated data can be utilized to generate a performance model for the network and for individual access points. Changes to the data are updated to the model to provide a steady-state characterization of network performance. Wireless resources are generated for respective access points in a manner that optimizes wireless performance. Additionally, resource assignments can be updated at various intervals to re-optimize for existing wireless conditions, whether event driven or based on performance metrics. Accordingly, a robust and dynamic optimization is provided for wireless network resource provisioning that can accommodate heterogeneous access point networks in a changing topology.
U.S. 2006/0068712 relates to a method of correlating probed data captured from various interfaces to create a combined picture at a call level. Thus, the method described allows real time distributed analysis and troubleshooting of the data on the interfaces of N radio network controllers from a single location.
U.S. 2008/0139197 discloses providing a probe application by a network server for downloading by a mobile device. The probe application monitors a level of performance for various use applications provided by the network for the mobile device, and reports the monitored level of performance for at least one of the applications to the network server. The network server collates the performance data from the plurality of communication devices and provides resource allocation instructions to the mobile in order to optimize a level of performance for the use applications for the communication device.
However, these prior art solutions do not provide an adequate solution to the problem of optimizing the operations of cellular networks, which the present invention seeks to provide.